Loki's run
by Miarka
Summary: Loki wakes up towards the end of the battle in New York, and sees only one option. Run. Loki/OC. Please read and review.
1. Chapter 1

Loki struggled to his feet, it took a little while for him to gain conscious of where he was, and then he remembered, Stark Tower, in the middle of the battle in New York. Everything had been going according to his plan until his unworthy brother and his pathetic little mortal friends had shown up. As he made it to where the large glass window had once been, now replaced only by a gaping hole in the building, Loki realised that all hope was lost. His army was destroyed and the Tesseract was no longer in his possession. They'd be coming for him soon; Loki knew he had only one option. Run.

Using his magic Loki could vanish and reappear in a completely different location. However after the fight with that stupid green hulk creature, which Loki did agree hadn't gone too well, the young Asgardian found himself greatly weakened, most of his journey would have to be accomplished on foot.

California was his destination; it was the furthest away he could be from New York, a little obvious perhaps, but Loki was confident. California was a big and busy place, and with his own genius mind Loki believed he could smuggle in with the crowds. So long as he lay low and waited for his opportunity, it would always come to him, besides theses mortals were usually preoccupied killing each other and their own world, if he could keep time on his side no doubt he would rule this world, he was the only man who could ever accomplish such a task.

It was fairly late one night when Loki reached the city of San Francisco, California. The air was thick and humid. Struggling through the city, Loki realised his strength was deserting him, had barely slept in days, nor had he eaten anything. Most places were closed up for the night, but along one street there was a little American Diner with its lights on inside, empty of consumers but open none the less. Loki entered and dropped down into a booth without another glance.

"Oh?" The sound of a young woman's surprised voice came.

Loki opened his eyes.

The speaker was a typical California girl, all blonde curls, supermodel figure, perfect tan, and (if she had been smiling) beaming smile.

"Hey, you get going, Jessie, don't you worry about it." Another young woman suddenly appeared through one of the two doors either side of the back wall behind the counter. Loki gazed at this woman; she was unlike the first woman, apparently named Jessie. This women was also beautiful perhaps even more so, but it wasn't like the sunny, happy beauty type of Jessie, that Loki looked upon in distaste and disgust. No, this woman belonged to a kind of dark, mysterious and unnatural beauty. Her eyes were so dark that they could almost be called black; they were at least the darkest shade of brown to have ever existed, in any of the nine realms. Her skin was caramel coloured, though not deep enough to be called brown, and she had dark smooth, glossy hair. "I'll serve him." She smiled at her new costumer.

And Loki quickly pulled his gaze away from her deep eyes.

"Oh, thanks, Dira" responded Jessie pulling on a jacket and grabbing her bag.

"It's no problem" Smiled the other woman, now understood to be named Dira, as she followed Jessie down the hall to where Loki sat in the first booth. "Have a good time with Andy." Dira called as Jessie reached the door.

"Yeah, if he aren't tired of waiting for me yet" Jessie laughed.

A smile spread across Dira's face as her fellow waitress left the cafe.

Loki watched her smiling and it suddenly came to him, how much he would like to see this woman kneeling before him, crying and begging him to take her life in order to spare her from the pain and misery Loki would poor into her life.

As the door closed Dira turned to Loki, glancing at his pale face, stricken with tiredness and illness, she sat down opposite him. "Has it been a long night, huh?"

Loki looked at her in astonishment; she dared speak to him as if he were her mere equal. And that put his mind straight; this pitiful mortal did not deserve even Midgard. This woman would be dead before the sun next rose.


	2. Chapter 2

"Well, want can I get for you, coffee?" Dira smiled warmly at Loki, making him feel almost uneasy. "It's always the best thing late at night?"

"Coffee would be impeccable, thank you." Loki smiled back to her, teasing and deciding to play it cool.

Dira beamed obliviously at his change in attitude. "Alright then." She said and swung herself out of the booth and went back to behind the counter and began on the coffee.

Loki tilted his head back and closed his eyes and the sound of the coffee machine and clinking cups rattled at the back of the diner.

"You're not from round here then, are you?" Came Dira's bright voice.

Loki open his eyes and stirred head slightly to the side so he could see her.

"No." He replied warily and curtly. This was his game, he thought, too make this pitiful young woman believe there was nothing too him, just a hopeless wreck at the end of the night. She was clearly too clueless too know there was more to him, but she'd learn that in the end with her last dying breath.

"So what was it, a costume party or something?" She glanced over his outfit.

Loki looked down at his Asgardian clothing, he had been passing unnoticed since the battle at New York and had cared little for what he was wearing, but he would need to stay around here for some time to recover his strength and dressed like this would certainly get him noticed. "Yes, it was. Just visiting an old friend." He lied to her plainly.

"Been a long journey has it?"

"You could say something like that." Loki moaned. Then he became curious. "What about you, you from here?"

"Me?" Dira poured the coffee from the machine into a small tea pot. "Nah, I'm from Washington city, born. Been here three years."

"Washington city?" He inquired, wondering how she could been born there yet have an accent so laced with Englishness. "You're not from Britain at all?"

"Ah, no. But schooled in England."

"Privately?"

"Err, yeah."

"Must've had some money behind you in order too afforded privet education across seas. Are you rich?"

"Um, yeah." She smiled meekly as she slid a tray laden with tea pot, cup, serviette, tea spoon and milk onto the table.

"Thank you." Loki's mouth twisted up into a smile as he flirted with her. "Please join me." He indicated opposite him.

"Well, I shouldn't really, I'm supposed to still be working. But I can't see myself getting anyone else at this time of night. Anyways you look like you need a talk." She slid into the booth opposite him, sat up straight and placed her hands upon the brim of the table with elegance.

Loki couldn't believe how easy it was playing this girl, he was going to enjoy when he revealed that he wasn't as sweet as he seemed. He reached out and began pouring the coffee. "So, tell me, how does a rich girl end up working in a diner?"

"Is that a chat-up line?" She joked, and raised her eyebrows only slightly.

Loki was caught off guard for the first time, this woman wasn't the usual Californian type, he could deal with her friendliness, but when she flirted he was not prepared.

Loki was a great mind, but he'd always let his brother have the girls, women intimidated him. Of course the women here were so foolish to him that he could possibly fear them, but this woman Dira was becoming more like an Asgardian women too him.

And the truth was, she was beautiful. In the split second he had he glanced across her, the way the lighting reflected off her skin, and how he too reflected in her mysterious eyes. He suddenly felt that there must be more to this woman than he understood.


	3. Chapter 3

Loki pursed his lips and concealed his feelings. "No." He answered firmly and quietly. "It was a question, nothing more. Care to answer?"

Dira lowered her eyes from him and felt a small laugh bubble inside her with the presence of this queer and in some ways slightly unnerving fellow. Loki turned his head as she move willing her to look to him.

Between those few seconds tension stretch between them and there was defiantly something that did not belong in this realm here, a presence between them, a connection, a bond, that is impossible between an Asgardian and a Midgardian. Loki felt it. And Dira felt it also, though she should not.

Dira's eyes flashed up upwards, breaking the tension. A smile spread across her face and all of the mystery in the past few seconds vanished.

Loki lowered his gaze from her and poured coffee for himself.

"I could have done anything with my life." Dira started to explain to him. "But it would have probably ended quickly with myself married the most eligible bachelor. And I wanted to live before that happened. My best skill has always been cooking, ever since I can remember. So after taking food courses for collage I moved down here. Bought myself an old knocked up building and turned it into this beauty." She gracefully flicked one arm out and indicated around the diner. "You might think it's a strange to go about living by opening up a tiny little diner and slaving for you living, but it's worth it and I'll tell you why. People. All the people I meet every single day, locals, visitors from the other side of the world. I meet all kinds of different people, and them with their funny ways make my life worth living. And I hope with my kindness and friendly to them, I make their lives a bit more worth living."

She finished her speech and Loki realised he was staring plainly at her face. His lips parted only slightly. His eyes fixed deeply on hers. And in that split moment his iced-cold heart melted. He wouldn't kill her. He could silence the foolish and disrespectful. But he could never silence something so pure and beautiful, and with so much innocence. She reminded him of himself, before Odin spilled out all the lies of his true being. Dira was unlike any other of the Midgardians he'd ever known, Loki was sure of that.

He quickly knocked back the rest of the coffee in the cup. Suddenly he felt the awkwardness of the situation and wanted to leave. He had no money, as that hadn't seemed a problem when he first arrived. But now he knew he wouldn't harm Dira and so ended up staring ashamedly at her.

She leaned back into the booth and the light flicked across her body. "No charge." She smiled kindly to him. "I can see you don't need it tonight."

"I am eternally grateful to you." Loki smiled, slipping back into his usual polite and deceiving mode, but there was also his old innocence hiding in his tone.

With a smiled Dira swung herself out of the booth and collected the tray from the table. "You'll be alright tonight, will you?" She asked concerned as she wondered back behind the counter.

"I have a place to go." He lied to her with a small pang of guilt for the first time.

Her faced lit up with reassurance. "You always welcome here, any day when you need it."

"Thank you." He got up from the booth and slowly started to linger towards the door, now a little unwilling to go. He knew he couldn't stay, this woman was messing up whatever little plan he had, but she was kind and so open to him, it had been so long since he'd been treated like a genuine person, and he liked having that feeling again. "Maybe I'll stop by sometime."

She gave one small, last wave to him. "See you around."

Without another word Loki turned and pulled himself out the door, it had been nice to set aside the harshness of his mission. But outside the night air was cold and Loki felt the weight of his life pushing down on him once again.

Still he wished to linger once more. And so he stowed himself in a doorway across the street from the diner. He watched Dira leave and close shop. With his powers he became invisible and followed her at a distance for a few streets then retreated. He found a hotel, and still invisible melted through the wall and into an empty room where he lay down on the bed and fell instantly into sleep. The flash of deep and mysterious eyes was the last thing he saw before the darkness crept in on Loki.

* * *

_Hi, guys. Hope you're enjoying the story, and thank you for all the support I've had on it. Please review a bit so I know what you think and if you're liking it, I'm a bit in the dark without any reviews right now. Many thanks and I'll try update soon. Much love - Miarka._


	4. Chapter 4

The sun was streaming through the open curtains when Loki awoke the next morning. He felt refreshed and alive again. Now all he needed to do was lie low, it was all part of his plan. If he could blend in with the common people for a several months, The Avengers would grow restless. Thor might even return to Asgard. They all expected him to start a fight as soon as he got away from them. They were probably wondering right now why they hadn't found him already. But Loki would not be beaten this way. No, he would catch them off guard. And then the Avengers would be the ones trying to run.

Loki's powers did not work as he slept, so once again he faded into nothingness. As he roamed the streets of San Francisco until he came upon a bank. Open and running, it was fun as he melted through, walked past the businessmen and guards, nicked $500, and walked back out again.

He wondered about some more and came upon a closed clothes store. He walked through the floor to ceiling glass window and wonder through the different sections.

Very rarely had he told anyone, but Loki had always been fond of clothing. Through his teenage years he'd visit Lady Sif and together they'd spend hours in her closet admiring her silk gowns and golden armor.

Of course the clothes on Midgard were nothing like that of Asgard. Loki disliked most of the clothes here, the leather and skinny jeans were alright, but the rest was just unbearable.

He picked out a deep green and black striped T-shirt, some black skinny jeans, gray trainers, and a leather coat. Despite the hideousness of the shoes it did look fairly good on Loki. And it was also quite comfortable, but hardly very practical if he were to be attached, as was the way with much of the Midgardian clothing.

Without anything else Loki became visible again and walked to the front of the door, he unlocked the door and stepped outside.

He spent the morning walking round the city finding every hide and Side Street there was to be found. If a battle came then the surrounding would be in his advantage. He mixed well with the ordinary people of the city, looking and moving like one of them, and making as if he was going somewhere.

But about 2:00pm Loki and walked most of the city and was, well bored. How was he supposed to lie low if this place bored him in half a day? With nothing else to do Loki found himself straying back to the diner. He knew he shouldn't, that if he wasn't careful this woman would get in the way of things, but what better was there for him to do, he told himself. And without another thought he turned in the direction of the diner.

Loki didn't know the name of the diner. Last night it had been dark and he'd been tired, so he'd taken no notice of the flashing red sign above the door. But in sunny daylight the now approached the block. He stopped and looked up at the sign and his heartbeat quickened. What were the chances? How could this be?

Above the diner written in swirly 1950's styled writing were the words 'Laufeyson's Diner'.


	5. Chapter 5

As it was lunchtime the diner was in full flow as Loki stepped in. He glanced around, observing the occupants in the diner. Among the customers two builders sat filling themselves with large burgers and fries. A gaggle of high school girls sat in another booth eating bagels. Two mothers drank tea while their babies sat in prams beside them. And near the front a gang of young men were fooling around with their milkshakes. Jessie the blonde waitress was dizzing around the place serving everybody.

At the counter was a man, older than Jessie or Dira. He looked Italian in appearance, and his face was sunken and lean, but he was still friendly and smiling as he served a group of collage boyfriends and girlfriends, each with their arms wrapped around the other.

Behind the counter and beside the man was Dira with the same genuine smile on her face and her eyes sparkling in the light.

Loki walked straight up to the counter and sat down at a stool between the college students and an elderly couple. He leaned on one arm, feeling oddly empty among all these chattering people. It was times like these he wished he had his brother again. But Thor was not his brother, nor had never been his brother, nor was he ever going to be. Thor was his enemy, Loki reminded himself.

"Well if it isn't my costume party pilgrim. Back so soon?"

Loki lifted his eyes at Dira's voice and smiled as she beamed at him. Somehow Dira made Loki feel a little better in his solitude. "Yes, I've decided to stay on in the city for a bit."

"Nowhere else to go? Well, aren't you a lucky one. What can I get for you?"

Loki glanced around at the menus and the other customers in the diner. "A milkshake would be wonderful. Any flavour."

"Any flavour. You sure it's wise to put your health in my hands?"

He laughed. "I trust you completely."

"How does spiced banana sound?"

"Rather exotic, but then although I come from far away I haven't had a taste of many other cultures so I'll give it a try."

"Perfect." Dira smiled, and set to work. She reached behind her and opened the fridge grabbed a banana; pealing it she began to slice it finely. "So you're not from this part of the world then? Is that an English accent I hear on you?"

Loki bent his head, he couldn't tell the truth to her, never, it was dangerous him even holding this conversation. "Originally" He lied to her. "But I've been other places."

"Oh, are your family English?" She asked, as she emptied the banana slices in a mixer and brought a tub of vanilla ice cream from the freezer.

"Yeah...they're sort of mixed race actually." Loki told her slowly, knowing he couldn't be too vague, but for some reason he didn't want to lie too her, a new experience for the silver-tongued God. He felt the uneasiness rising inside him again under her gaze.

"I must say I'm not sure whether I like you better with normal clothes or you costume, your outfit last night was truly impressive."

"Thank you."

She glanced up at the TV screen fixed onto the wall above the kitchen. It was showing a news report on the New York battle.

"So what were you trying for, a bit of that superhero stuff that they've got in New York?"

This angered Loki once more; that his Asgardian robes was a mere superhero costume to these mortals. This is why they were made to be ruled, they were such simple-minded creatures. "Yes, I thought it was quite in the moment." Loki explained coolly, brushing his dark feelings aside.

"You know it's funny actually, you look a bit like him, the guy there trying to find."

He laughed. "Mind if I take that as a compliment?"

"No problem." Dira smiled.

"So what is the latest on that guy?"

"Still nothing, he's dead I'm thinking, but it's all top security stuff that only Mr Stark and the government people know about. All the news ever shows is the aftermath of the battle, New York is still pretty beat up. But no doubt Tony Stark will take all the credit for putting it back together."

Loki smiled at this, keen in the thought that Dira disliked that fool Tony Stark as much as he did, well, perhaps a little less than him, but disliked him all the same. "You disapprove of Mr Stark then?"

"Well, I've no opinion on him really; I just wish people would stop treating him like he is god." She emptied the banana slices, two scoops of vanilla ice cream, and milk into a blender.

"Believe me, there are some who feel the same way."

Dira glanced across at him and grinned as she shut the lid down on the blender and turned it on "Cheek."

"I thank you."Loki smiled back at her and it was a genuine one, he really couldn't help it, the beauty in her smile was contagious, and it spread a warmth and happiness through Loki that he wasn't used to.

She emptied the finely blended liquid into a tall milkshake glass and reached to pull a jar of spice, one of many different kinds, off the shelf behind.

Loki leaned over the counter slightly and towards her. "Look, I've wanted to ask you about the name of your Diner." He told her softly.

"What about it?" Dira asked as she sprinkled a little of the spice over the drink and stirred it in with a Sunday spoon.

"Well, where did you get the name Laufeyson's from?"

"Oh, I believe it was the name of a God in Norse mythology. But it's strange actually when I was doing up this place I didn't have a name for the diner and it just came to me one night, Laufeyson's. I didn't know what it meant at the time, I guess I'd just heard it somewhere and it had been stuck in the back of my head. But it fit so perfectly."

"So that's it then." He questioned "Nothing symbolic?"

Dira laughed. "No nothing like that. Anyway, here you go." She smiled and presented his milkshake. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I do have a business to run. You're welcome to stay for as long as you'd like."

With that she walked away and started clearing plates from the high school girls with the usual genuine smile fixed on her face.

Loki sat at the counter pondering as two matters troubled his mind.

First, he couldn't get it out of his head that the name of the diner meant something. No matter what Dira said, Loki was felt certain there must be something more behind it's meaning.

Secondly, what was he to do now that he was hidden and away from S.H.I.E.L.D? How would he start his mission into claiming the realm for his own?

Then suddenly it came to him as he watched Dira serving. He could use her. She'd already she was rich. How rich? He wondered. If he could get close to her, gain her trust and then get to her, then to her family and all the people they knew, certainly people in high places. He could worm his way to higher powers all because of Dira and her kindness. Make his demands, and S.H.I.E.L.D. might have all the weapons but they didn't have his mind.

And so this would be his mission, his plan, Dira with all her sweetness and innocence would help him become master of all.


	6. Chapter 6

"So why have you decide to stay in the city?" asked Dira as she wiped down the counter top.

It was later in the day now, and the diner was quieter with fewer people around.

"Well, I've nowhere better to go, and I like it here." Loki explained, still sitting at the counter with an empty milkshake.

"The city is beautiful isn't it? You're a free spirit then, no work?"

"Least not for the moment" Loki explained and thought to himself that perhaps he should get a job.

"Well, if you're looking for part time work, I could always give you a cleaning job."

And again Loki smiled because fate must be playing on his side, it would be easy to get close to this girl, gain her trust and soon use her to rule Midgard. "You would do that for me?" He asked, playing with her and acting astonished and extremely grateful.

"Sure, I can give you the slip to fill out right now, and then I'll need to give you a one day cleaning course and after that you're on the job."

"That's so kind of you, thank you."

"Oh, sure anything to help out and you are a nice guy I can tell. So will you take the job?"

"It would be my pleasure." He smiled.

Dira grinned back at him, and then called out now the diner. "Hey Brad."

The Italian skinned man turned and looked at Dira.

"Can you manage things out here for a little while?"

"Sure thing, Dira" He replied in a deep and smooth voice.

"Come with me." Dira beckoned to Loki.

Loki followed her through one of the doors at the back, opposite to the one she'd entered through the other night. He found himself facing a staircase leading straight up, but he couldn't see to where. Dira turned away from the staircase and instead lead Loki through an open door beside it. They entered into a small room with a desk in the center and a shelf with many different files on it along one wall.

"No much for an office I know, but it does the job." Dira explained as she walked around the desk and scanned the shelf. "Ah, here we are." She took a file down and placed it on the desk, opened it up and took a sheet of paper from it.

"That's funny, isn't it, I've just realised I don't actually know you're name."

Loki felt a mix of sudden panic and shame. He wanted desperately to tell Dira his own name, but he knew he couldn't if he was going to conceal himself as a Midgardian, so did what he was famed for and lied, at least partly. "It's Logan, Logan Laufeyson."

"Oh, really?" She laughed. "So that's why you asked about the name of my diner earlier. Well, who knows perhaps you are the decanted of an old Norse God."

He laughed with her. "Indeed."

She wrote down his name on at the top of the paper. "I'll need you to fill this out for me." She handed the paper to him and he took it from her. "Could you come back some time when we've got very quiet hours, either early morning or late at night, and I'll give you that course." She asked while placing the file carefully back in its right place.

"Of course, I'll come back tomorrow morning."

"Okay, great."

"Well, good day to you."

She smiled. "I'll see you tomorrow."

* * *

Loki followed Dira all the way home that night, and was surprised to see the huge size of her house. It was easy to forget that she was rich. He made himself invisible and watched her from outside her window. She lived alone, if not for the many exotic fish she had in a large tank. He watched her as she ate alone in front of the T.V. and finally fell asleep curled up in a large armchair with a blanket over her. For some reason it made Loki feel slightly lonely, to see her quiet in the big house.

As Dira slept Loki turned and walked away to find his own place to sleep that night.


	7. Chapter 7

Dira stirred in the armchair, and opening her eyes she turned her head to look at the clock on the mental piece. 1:30 am.

She hadn't meant to full asleep and so she pulled herself up out of the chair and reached for the remote to turn the T.V. She wondered groggily upstairs and into her bathroom, stripped down and showered.

It was as Dira made to turn off the shower that the first signs showed. As she pressed her hand against the metal dial purple wisps emitted from her hand. She jumped back and had to steady herself against the tiled wall. Glancing again at her hand the purple wisps had gone, then she inspected her hand more closely, it was completely normal looking. She pressed the dial to turn off the shower, while watching her hand closely, nothing happened.

Stepping out of the shower Dira wrapped herself in a white towel. But as she rubbed her hair with a smaller hand-held towel Dira noticed it again in the mirror. She dropped the towel suddenly in her haste to study her hand again. Purple wisps, like some sort of energy were emitting and swirling around her hand. Dira's eyes widened and she suddenly felt quite afraid.

Then within seconds of the wisps coming they faded into nothingness. Dira stared at her hand once more and examined it closely, as perfectly normal as she'd always remembered it._ Perhaps I'm just tired?_ She thought to herself. And shrugging off her fear she went to bed.

* * *

_Yeah, I know this chapter is too short, I'm sorry. But it's very important to the story, and it wouldn't fit to put the next part of the story with this part here. Despite it shortness I really like this chapter. All the others have had a lot of conversation, and in this one I move away from all of that and instead I'm foreshadowing the story a bit more and getting slightly into Dira's character. (sorry to all the Loki fangirls who haven't heard from him in this chapter) Anyway, please review and tell me how you think to story is going and I'll have the next chapter up as soon as possible. Thanks a million, Miarka._


	8. Chapter 8

S.H.I.E.L.D base, Texas:

"Hey, Fury, it looks like we've picked something up here."

Tony Stark sat with his legs sprawled out across a table with several computer monitors in front of him, their screens making various bleeping noises and showing various tracking devices.

"Sir, Stark says he's got something for you on the monitors." Agent Hill reported to Fury when Stark's confident and yelling voice came through the speakers.

Fury moved over to the edge of the glass balcony which overlooked the computer hall, including the monitors at which Stark sat at the head of the hall.

"Call everyone in." Fury told Hill, who nodded in response.

* * *

Within minutes all the Avengers sat at a long overall table situated at the back of the computer hall and facing Stark's tracking screens.

Thor sat by himself, resting on his hands and looking broody and lost in thought for his brother.

Clint and Natasha sat side by side, they seemed quite perky and despite how much Stark could irritate her, Natasha was eager to hear what Stark had to say.

Steve was by far the most enthusiastic one there, he'd been bored with all the searching, and although he was strongly against violence and all the destruction Loki had caused, he wanted something to take his mind off all that was happening and this world that he was in.

Bruce was leaning back in his chair with his glances on and looking politely interested. Part of him still didn't really want to be with S.H.I.E.L.D. in fact he could just leave, but he knew that it was his responsibility also to see that Loki was found.

Fury and Hill stood behind the table both in a straight-backed position with their arms held behind them, and listening and watching intently.

"So Mister Stark care to magnify and tell everyone what's this all about?" Fury ordered.

Stark flicked the touch screen and it magnified onto a large projected image in the air. The screen showed a spectrum with a line flowing across the screen, along the flat line two lumps on the spectrum rose. The first was small and brief, and then later a larger lump rose on the screen.

"Okay so as you all know about a week ago we lost Loki in the middle of battle and we've been completely in the dark as to his whereabouts. S.H.I.E.L.D. has been tracking our guy in just about every way possible, and about an half an hour ago we picked this up." Stark pointed up to the projection behind him. "These here" he said pointing to the two lumps rising on the spectrum "are two energy waves, notice the first one is shorter and very miner, but the second is more powerful."

"This form on energy is not Loki's." Thor pointed out as he studied the readings on the spectrum closely. "Loki uses the energy of the frost giants."

"That is true." Said Fury, walking round the table to stand by Stark facing the others, but nor is this energy of earth, whatever it is it could be connected to Loki."

"Then we should find it, track it down." Put in Clint.

"Agreed" said Tony. "But unfortunately these readings are very small, too small for us to even to track back to its exact location, although we have been able to work out that it is within the US."

"So if it is something to do with Loki, at least we still know that he's in the country." Natasha said while staring at the table thoughtfully.

"But we've no proof that this has anything to do with Loki, for all we know this is just a lose trail while Loki is already the other side of the world building an army." Steve suddenly burst out in frustration.

"Mr Rogers, please, we've also no reason to believe this isn't something to do with Loki, if it's something over here that's not connected with our people then it could well likely be something to do with him. Unfortunately we can't draw any conclusions right now."

"So this energy remains a mystery" said Bruce plainly.

"Until such time as we know more, yes" Fury told them all with a grim and forceful attitude. "But we will now work on tracking the location of this area source continuously besides all the devices we're already using to find Loki." Fury sighed and looked down, then he turned his face upwards again to address them all. "I know it's not much to be going on, but this does mean that we're perhaps a little less in the dark than we have been."

Fury surveyed them all: Thor and Clint looked concerned, but both in different ways. Natasha was still thoughtful with eyes downcast. Steve was clearly frustrated and tense in his chair. Bruce and Hill where both expressing plain politeness; neither enthusiastic or depressed about the situation. Stark as near always was casual, sitting back in the chair beside Fury as he listened with the projection magnified behind him.

"I'll have you all notified the moment we pick something else up." Fury said finally. "Dismissed."

* * *

_Hey, guys. I know I haven't updated in a while but I've been really busy with exams that will be finished by next week! Hooray! So hopefully I'll have plenty of time over the holidays to write loads. As always please review to let me know what you think of this chapter, I quite like this one and I'm really glad to bring the avengers into the fanfic. Thanks to everyone who has supported and reviewed my fanfic, I love you all. Bye._


	9. Chapter 9

Two weeks later:

"Damn it." Dira cursed as she emerged from her office holding and gazing at her slick and expensive phone in her hand.

Both Loki and Brad the waiter looked up in the empty cafe, it was early morning and the diner wasn't open yet, but the pair of them had turned up to work as usual.

"What's wrong?" asked Brad watching with concern.

"That was Jessie calling." Dira explained to them from the back of the room. "Apparently Andy called it off with her last night."

"You're joking" Exclaimed Brad.

Dira shook her head with a sad and grim expression. "I'm afraid not. She was in floods of tears on the phone. Now, I've promised Jess I'd go over later after work, but for now she's not coming and I'm one worker down on a busy weekend." She finished in a frustrated tone.

Loki turned in head and kept it down. He didn't understand these Midgardians, how they broke down at everything that happened to them, and why they let their hearts get caught in so much confusion and so quickly. It was really quite pitiful how much theses mortals hurt their own selves. He thought quietly to his self.

"Logan." Dira called, disturbing his thoughts. She was staring at him. "I don't suppose..." She started a little quietly. "I know you're not qualified, but you've seen the guys working and you know how it's done. I know I really shouldn't be asking but I really need another worker, so I don't suppose you could fill in for Jessie, just for today." She was nervous and begging even slightly.

Her statement touched Loki in some way. He'd wanted her to be begging him ever since he'd met her, and he'd been lasting on the knowledge that he would use her and someday have her beg. And yet here she was begging him, but not at his hands, at the hands of her business and all that she lived for and was important to her was this diner and the people she served. He couldn't understand how a girl with so much of everything, money, beauty, and everything these Midgardians crave, and yet at heart she didn't care for herself, only for others. He realised now that he'd never get her to beg, it would mean so little to her.

"I'll give you extra pay for it." Dira quickly added, still staring at his blank face.

Loki shook off his feelings and gave a warm smile to her. "No extra pay needed." He told her in a silky voice. "You've done enough for me and I'd be happy to do anything for you in return."

Dira let out a yelp of excitement and jumped up and down on the spot a few times while clapping her hands together tightly. "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you, Logan." She cried happily while whizzing round the counter and wrapping her arms around Loki quickly.

Loki nearly toppled over at the sudden weight of Dira grabbing him, but he steadied himself and put on a fake smile and laugh. Or was it fake? For despite Loki's recent disappointment in realising Dira might never kneel to him, he felt comforted somewhat by her warmth wrapped around him and her joyful voice in his ear.

Behind nether of them noticed Brad smiling knowingly at the pair of them as they embraced cheerfully.

And on that day Loki started to belong somewhere, even though he would have never considered himself belonging on Midgard, and he didn't even realise himself that he was belonging yet.

No longer was he simply hiding from the world, working lousy cleaner's shifts between busy periods. He started to understand while this job meant so much to Dira; it was enjoyable to serve people in the diner, to see their faces smiling as they chatted with friends and family. To be around Brad and Dira gave Loki a sense of purpose.

* * *

"Thank you so much for helping today, Logan." Dira said to Loki as the day ended. They were in the store room together, located through the other door at the end of the diner. It was a small room, with shelves stacked high all the way round. Loki wouldn't usually be in there, but Dira needed the help. Dira turned to him after pushing a large cardboard box up onto the shelf and smiled. "I couldn't have got through the day without you."

"It was nothing." He told her honestly, he felt a little ashamed for using her kindness the way he did and taking advantage of her. Dira loved everything and everyone and Loki started hate himself for being such a twisted mind.

"Oh but it is too me." She told him. "And you know what; I might put you on some extra jobs. You're shaping into a good worker."

Loki didn't know why, but it meant something to him to hear Dira say she was almost proud of him. All his life he'd never had the praise, it had always been Thor with all his skill that was loved and adored by all. But here was a mysterious woman, who was rich but it didn't mean anything to her, and she thought well of him despite Loki having never worked a day in his life. It changed him slightly to know that because of his own work he'd done well.

"You'd do that?" He asked unsurely. Why was this woman so nice to him, when all he had ever been was rejection and hate?

"Yes, I would." She smiled, walking out the storeroom and into the empty diner.

"Thank you." He told her honestly, feeling almost scared in the presence of this kind-hearted woman. "Excuse me, I have to go."

"I know." She said, suddenly tired as she glanced up at clock. "You'd better go, you've had a busier day than usual after all."

"Thank you." Glad to be away at last he gave her his usual fake smile. "Goodnight."

She gave him a final wave as he opened the glass door and left.


End file.
